Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ENGINEERING ETHICS
ENGINEERING ETHICS is:
1. NORMATIVE INQUIRY
2. CONCEPTUAL INQUIRY
3. FACTUAL (DESCRIPTIVE) INQUIRIES
1. NORMATIVE INQUIRY
• These are about ‘what ought to be’ and ‘what is good’.
• These questions identify and also justify the morally desirable norms or
standards.
• Some of the questions are:
1. How far engineers are obligated to protect public safety in given
situations?
2. When should engineers start whistle blowing on dangerous practices of
their employers?
3. Whose values are primary in taking a moral decision, employee, public or
govt?
4. Why are engineers obligated to protect public safety?
5. When is govt justified in interfering on such issues and why?
2. CONCEPTUAL INQUIRY
• These questions should lead to clarifications on concepts, principles
and issues in ethics.
• Examples are:
1. What is ‘SAFETY’ and how is it related to ‘RISK’
2. ‘Protect the safety, health and welfare of public’- What does this
statement mean?
3. What is a bribe?
3. FACTUAL (DESCRIPTIVE) INQUIRIES
• These are inquiries used to uncover information using scientific
techniques.
• These inquiries get to information about business realities, history of
engineering profession, procedures used in assessment of risks and
engineers psychology.
MORAL DILEMMMA
• There are three types of complexities.
• VAGUENESS: This complexity arises due to the fact that it is not clear
to individuals as to which moral considerations or principles apply to
their situation.
• CONFLICTING REASONS: Even when it is perfectly clear as to which
moral principle is applicable to one’s situation, there could develop a
situation where in two or more clearly applicable moral principles
come into conflict.
• DISAGREEMENT: Individuals and groups may disagree how to
interpret, apply and balance moral reasons in particular situations.
Steps in confronting MORAL DILEMMAS:
Studies were hypothesized for both Study was conducted on both genders
the genders even though the study was and it was found, men based their
conducted mostly on males reasoning on ‘justice’ and women based
theirs on ‘care’
CONSENSUS AND CONTROVERSY
CONTROVERSY
• All individuals will not arrive at same verdict
during exercising their moral autonomy.
• Aristotle noted long ago that morality is not as
precise and clear-cut as arithmetic.
• Aim of teaching engineering ethics is not to get
unanimous conformity of outlook but to improve
promotion of tolerance in the exercise of moral
autonomy.
CONSENSUS
Who is a professional?
• Obviously a member of a profession.
What is a profession?
• ‘JOB’ or ‘OCCUPATION’ that meets the following criteria from which a person earns his
living.
• Knowledge – Exercise of skills, knowledge, judgment and discretion requiring extensive
formal criteria.
• Organization - special bodies by members of the profession to set standard codes of
ethics,
• Public good - The occupation serves some important public good indicated by a code of
ethics.
MOTIVES FOR PROFESSIONALISM
• A desire for interesting and
challenging work and the
pleasure in the act of changing
the world.
• The joy of creative efforts.
Where a scientist’s interest is in
discovering new technology,
engineers interest is derived
from creatively solving practical
problems.
• The sheer magnitude of the
nature – oceans, rivers,
mountains and prairies –
leads engineers to build
engineering marvels like
ships, bridges, tunnels, etc.,
which appeal to human
passion.
• The pleasure of being in the
presence of machines
generating a comforting and
absorbing sense of a
manageable, controlled and
ordered world.
MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
1.SAVIOR: The representative engineer is a
savior who will redeem society from
poverty, inefficiency, waste and the
drudgery of manual labor.
2.GUARDIAN: Engineers know, the
directions in which and pace at which,
technology should develop.
3.BUREAUCRATIC SERVANT: The engineer
as the loyal organization person uses special
skills to solve problems.
4.SOCIAL SERVANT: Engineers, in co-operation with management,
have the task of receiving society’s directives and satisfying society’s
desires.
5. SOCIAL ENABLER AND CATALYST: Engineers play a vital role beyond
mere compliance with orders. They help management and society
understand their own needs and to make informed decisions.
6. GAME PLAYER: Engineers are neither servants nor masters of
anyone. They play by the economic game rules that happen to be in
effect at a given time
TYPES OF ETHICAL THEORIES
S.NO TYPES BASED ON